An American Woman Looks at Life in General and her Own in Particular

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Along for the Ride

If you’re at all prone to motion sickness, you’ve probably been suffering a bit the past few weeks, especially if you’ve invested in the stock market. Just when it was starting to feel almost safe to go back in the water, the debt ceiling crisis created some really nasty economic waves that sent the markets careening all over the place once again.

I’m not immune to feeling a sinking sensation in the pit of my stomach when I see headlines like “Dow’s Worst Day Since 2009.” Even though we have a financial advisor we trust who has trained us to “Keep Calm and Carry On,” I still occasionally feel the urge to initiate a panic sell off and keep the proceeds in a suitcase under the bed.

The volatility of the markets is scary, and I would never dare attempt to wade in without the expert guidance of a trained investment company. I’m sure you could find a reputable online portfolio manager if you were at all inclined toward Do It Yourself portfolio management. But when it comes to keeping my investments on the right track and in all the proper categories, I’m just much happier letting my financial advisor use her own portfolio rebalancing software than I would be trying to do it on my own.

I know my own strengths, and trying to make any sense out of the sea of confusion which characterizes today’s economic environment just isn’t one of them.